sludge samples collected from the pyridine degradation reactors with different co-metabolites

The efficiency of traditional pyridine degradation systems is subpar, and nitrogen removal is given less consideration. This study elucidated the synchronous removal performance of pyridine and pyridine-N when glucose or phenol were added and demonstrated the co-metabolic mechanism. Glucose could speed up pyridine oxidation and improve TN removal effectiveness by enhancing ammonia assimilation. Phenol would hinder pyridine from degrading, although it might remove TN through denitrification.